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2014 Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrids get deep, deep discount

Math-phobes may not appreciate all the price discounts available for potential buyers of the Ford C-Max Energi Plug-in Hybrid. For everyone else, though, break out the calculators and celebrate. Because the plug-ins, or at least the 2014 model-year versions, can be had for as much as a third off. How? Start with $4,000 bonus cash from Ford (double what it used to be) and add another $1,750 in dealer discounts, according to Cars Direct. Additionally, the feds will provide a $4,000 tax incentive, while shoppers in the great state of California might get another $1,500 in clean-vehicle rebates. Add them all up – oh, and another $1,000 thrown in by some dealers – and the MSRP of just under $34,000 gets brought down to less than $22,000 out of pocket. It makes that recent $900 price cut for the model seem pretty minor by comparison, doesn't it. Ford is looking to unload a bunch of 2014 model-year C-Max Energi models after sales, which started strong last year, tapered off in recent months. While Americans boosted C-Max Energi purchases by 18 percent last year to 8,433 units, that year-over-year sales gain had been 58 percent through last June. Meanwhile, January sales were down 16 percent to just 395 units. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2013 Ford C-Max Energi: First Drive View 20 Photos News Source: Cars Direct via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips/AOL Green Ford Hybrid PHEV discounts

FBI Seizes Computers, Listening Devices From Ford Headquarters

FBI agents searched Ford Motor Company's headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, this month as part of an investigation into possible corporate espionage. Eight devices, along with documents, computers and financial records, were among the items seized by federal agents on July 11, according to documents obtained by The Detroit News. The FBI searched Leach's home on June 20 and seized more than two dozen items in that search, Reuters reported. Former engineer Sharon Leach, a 17-year Ford veteran of company, was fired last month, according to The News, which first reported the story. She admitted to placing recording devices under conference tables before meetings. She told Ford security she used the recordings to assist in her meeting notes. She couldn't remove the devices after meetings without drawing attention to herself, leaving the devices to record other meetings. Leach has not been charged for any wrongdoing. Former federal prosecutor and Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning told The News that using a search warrant, rather than a subpoena, shows the FBI suspects more employees could be implicated. "If it's an economic espionage case or trade-secrets case, that rarely involves one individual," Henning told The Detroit News. "So the concern is if you send a subpoena and ask for recording devices, those things can be erased." Leach, Ford and the FBI declined to comment on the investigation. Related Gallery AOL Autos Test Drive: 2014 Ford Fiesta ST Auto News Ford espionage corporate

Ford books $1.2B profit in second quarter on strength of trucks

Ford is rolling along nicely, with a positive second-quarter sales report and a $2.3 billion profit in North America. The Dearborn, Michigan-based manufacturer captured $1.2 billion globally from April to June, with a $177 million profit in Asia. Even in Europe, the land of doom and gloom for automakers not named Mazda, Ford saw some success as it lowered its expected full-year loss from $2 billion to $1.8 billion. The company lost $348 million in Europe during the second quarter, which, believe it or not, represents a $56-million improvement over 2012.
According to the report on CNBC, Ford enjoyed a three-percent increase in pre-market trading thanks to the news. The strong demand for the F-150 propelled growth in the US market, while Ford's 47-percent increase in Asian sales can be attributed to the new EcoSport crossover and Kuga (Ford Escape in the US) arriving in the somewhat fragile Chinese market.
Pre-tax profits for Ford are expected to be in the neighborhood of $8 billion by the end of the year, with sales the US, Europe, and China all looking up. The company also shifted $4.78 billion of asset-backed debt in the form of bonds, according to a report by Bloomberg. This move came amidst rumors of the Federal Reserve cutting back on its $85-billion-per-month bond purchases. Ford wasn't alone among automakers looking to sell off debt, though, as Mercedes-Benz and Nissan shifted around $1 billion each in bonds relating to auto loans.